WEBVTT SOLEDAD: THE 116TH CONGRESS BEGINS ITS NEW TERM ON JANUARY 3. THERE WILL BE A RECORD NUMBER OF WOMEN, NATIVE AMERICANS, AND VETERANS ON CAPITOL HILL. AND WHILE THERE WILL BE NEW FACES, THEY WILL BE FACING MANY OF SAME OLD ISSUES, INCLUDING IMMIGRATION, HEALTH CARE, CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM. AND WITH DEMOCRATS IN CONTROL OF THE HOUSE, THEY SAY EXPECT MORE OVERSIGHT OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. JOINING ME WITH A LOOK AHEAD A ANALYSTS MICHAEL STEEL, A REPUBLICAN, AND DOUG THORNELL, A DEMOCRAT IT’S NICE TO HAVE YOU GUYS BACK. ALL RIGHT. LET’S BEGIN WITH THE BIG PICTURE, 35,000 FOOT VIEW. WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE THE BIGGEST CHANGES WITH DEMOCRATS NOW IN THE MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE? WHY DON’T WE START WITH YOU? DOUG: WELL, THERE’S GOING TO BE REAL OVERSIGHT OF THIS ADMINISTRATION I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY, THEY BASICALLY LET A LOT OF MALFEASANCE ON THE RIGHT, WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION GO. I THINK WE’RE GOING TO HAVE REAL SOLID LOOK AT WHAT DID HAPPEN IN RUSSIA. OBVIOUSLY WHAT HAPPENS AFTER MUELLER IS GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT. I THINK ON KITCHEN TABLE ISSUES AND THAT’S WHAT DEMOCRATS RAN ON AND THAT’S WHAT THEY WANT ON -- WON ON. THEY WON ON HEALTH CARE, THEY WON ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, THEY WON ON THE ECONOMY. AND I THINK THAT THEY’RE GOING TO -- THAT’S GOING TO BE REALLY WHAT THEY PUSH. I THINK OVER THE FIRST SIX MONTHS THAT YOU’RE GOING TO SEE SOME THINGS RELATED TO WAGES. I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO SEE AN EFFORT TO DO SOMETHING ON INFRASTRUCTURE. I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO SEE AN EFFORT TO DO AN ANTI-CORRUPTION BILL WHICH IS I THINK THE FIRST BILL THAT THEY’VE PUT OUT THERE. SOLEDAD: DOES THAT SOUND LIKE TOO MUCH OF AN AGENDA? MIKE: THERE IS NO DEMOCRATIC AGENDA. THERE IS OPPOSITION TO PRESIDENT TRUMP. THE DEMOCRATS DID NOT OFFER A REAL POSITIVE AGENDA ON A NUMBER OF SPECIFIC ISSUES. WE HAVE A NARROW WINDOW BEFORE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS CONSUME EVERYTHING. AND I THINK IF THERE IS ANY LEGISLATING TO BE DONE, IT’S PROBABLY IN THE AREAS OF INFRASTRUCTURE OR IMMIGRATION. BUT THE OVERSIGHT IS REALLY GOING TO BE -- THE INVESTIGATIONS ARE REALLY GOING TO BE THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE. I THINK THAT’S WHERE THE ATTENTION IS. THAT’S WHERE THE CLICKS ARE. THAT’S WHERE THE MONEY IS. THAT’S WHERE THE MEDIA IS. AND THAT’S GOING TO BE THE OVERWHELMING OBSESSION OF THIS NEW DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY. SOLEDAD: AND COULDN’T YOU ARGUE -- AND VOTERS WHO INSTALLED THOSE DEMOCRATS AND MANY OF THEM FELT LIKE, WELL, THERE’S NOT A LOT OF OVERSIGHT FROM REPUBLICANS FOR THE PRESIDENT AT THIS MOMENT. OK THERE SHOULD BE OVERSIGHT. , WHAT IS GOING ON WITH RUSSIA? WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH JAMAL KHASHOGGI? HOW IS THIS DEBATE HAPPENING IN FRONT OF TV CAMERAS AND NO ONE ACTUALLY KNOWS WHAT’S HAPPENING? MIKE: THE CHECKS AND BALANCES BUILT INTO OUR SYSTEM ARE THERE FOR A REASON AND THERE IS A PLACE FOR VERY SMART, VERY RESPONSIBLE OVERSIGHT OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. I WORRY THAT MANY OF THE DEMOCRATS THAT WERE ELECTED IN THIS CYCLE ARE GOING TO OVERREACH AND GET INTO PLACES THAT MAY NOT BE LEGITIMATE AREAS OF OVERSIGHT. DOUG: A LOT OF THE DEMOCRATS W DID WIN WON IN SWING DISTRIC OR SLIGHTLY RED DISTRICTS. THEY’RE MORE MODERATE. THEY DID RUN ON AN AGENDA TALKING ABOUT KITCHEN TABLE ISSUES. SO THIS IDEA THAT THEY ARE GOING TO RUSH IN JUST TO DO OVERSIGHT -- MOST OF THE MAJORITY -- THE MAJORITY MAKERS, THE 40 DEMOCRATS WHO WON THOSE SEATS -- THEY HAVE -- THEY’RE COMING TO WASHINGTON TRY TO GET A LOT OF THINGS DONE FOR THEIR DISTRICTS. SOLEDAD: LET’S TALK ABOUT NANCY PELOSI FOR A MOMENT. SHE EMERGED VICTORIOUS AND THE FACT THAT SHE’S DOING PHOTO OPS WITH ALEXANDRA OCASIO CORTEZ, WHO IS VERY PROGRESSIVE, AND ALSO SOME OF HER MORE MODERATE MEMBERS ALL AT THE SAME TIME IS SORT OF A BIG GIANT WIN FOR NANCY PELOSI. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE DEMOCRATS? ARE THEY IN THIS DISARRAY WHERE THEY DON’T AGREE ON THE VERY BASICS? DOUG: WELL, I THINK BECAUSE NANCY PELOSI IS POSITIONED TO BE THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE AGAIN. THERE’S LIKELY NOT GOING TO BE A LOT OF DISARRAY. YOU KNOW, MIKE AND I WERE ON THE HILL SAME TIME, AND ONE THING THAT NANCY PELOSI DOES UNDERSTAND IS HOW TO RUN A CAUCUS. SHE’S ALSO A PROLIFIC FUNDRAISER AND SHE KNOWS ALL THE LEVERS OF POWER TO PULL IN CONGRESS. MIKE: LOOK, THIS IS AN AREA OF BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT. BOTH REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ARE THRILLED THAT NANCY PELOSI WILL BE THE NEXT SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE. FROM THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, BECAUSE SHE IS A UNIQUELY POLARIZING AND UNPOPULAR CONGRESSIONAL LEADER AND SHE WILL, AS THE FACE OF THE DEMOCRATIC HOUSE, BE A POLITICAL EVENT. SOLEDAD: THEY SURE WORK HARD TO GET RID OF NANCY PELOSI FOR PEOPLE WHO -- FOR THE GOP, SAYING THEY REALLY LOVE HAVING NANCY PELOSI. THERE ARE POLLS FROM REPUBLICANS. MIKE: SHE IS UNIQUELY UNPOPULAR AS A CONGRESSIONAL LEADER AND POLARIZING AND THAT’S A TERRIFIC POLITICAL ADVANTAGE TO REPUBLICANS LOOKING TO TAKE BACK THE HOUSE IN 202 SOLEDAD: I DON’T KNOW THAT I’M BUYING THAT. DOUG: WELL, I ALSO THINK THAT MITCH MCCONNELL IS DEEPLY UNPOPULAR. HE’S UNPOPULAR WITH REPUBLICANS. PAUL RYAN’S UNPOPULAR. I THINK JUST MEMBERS OF CONGRESS OVERALL ARE UNPOPULAR. SOLEDAD: IMPEACHED OR NOT? MIKE: TRUMP? SOLEDAD: YEA MIKE: I THINK ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT PASS IN THE HOUSE, BUT HE WILL NOT BE CONVICTED IN THE SENATE. DOUG: WE’LL HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE MUELLER REPORT SAYS. BUT WITH THE NEWS OF COHEN, WITH MICHAEL FLYNN, IF YOU’RE IN THE WHITE HOUSE, THIS IS NOT LOOKING GOOD. AGAIN, I DON’T THINK DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IMPEACHMENT UNLESS THERE’S SOLID EVIDENCE THAT MR. MUELLER PUTS FORWARD, BUT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD FOR THE WHITE HOUSE RIGHT

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Are House Democrats Looking to Impeach The President Next Year?

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Updated: 2:52 PM EST Dec 20, 2018

Democrats are preparing to take over the House in January as Republicans maintain their hold over the Senate. That divided Congress will make passing legislation that much more difficult, especially as House Democrats say they want more oversight of the Trump administration. Soledad O’Brien sits down with Republican strategist Michael Steel and Democratic analyst Doug Thornell to discuss the priorities for next year and what obstacles lie ahead.

Democrats are preparing to take over the House in January as Republicans maintain their hold over the Senate. That divided Congress will make passing legislation that much more difficult, especially as House Democrats say they want more oversight of the Trump administration. Soledad O’Brien sits down with Republican strategist Michael Steel and Democratic analyst Doug Thornell to discuss the priorities for next year and what obstacles lie ahead.